


It does need saying

by Captain_Toad



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Episode Fix-It: s04e13 Journey's End, Episode: s04e13 Journey's End, Rose is pissed, Rose punches the Doctor, really pissed, the doctor is an idiot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 23:52:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Toad/pseuds/Captain_Toad
Summary: "Does it need saying?"The words are painful as he pushes them out of his mouth. Instantly, Rose's face falls with shock and hurt. He doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to push his emotions deep down and pretend he doesn't care. He doesn't want to lose Rose again. But he firmly believes that this is what's right. Rose will be happy if she stays here. He knows that. The belief is stubbornly stuck in his mind. A new emotion joins the shock and hurt that was mingling on Rose's face.Anger.Then she punches him."YES IT DOES!"





	It does need saying

"Does it need saying?"

The words are painful as he pushes them out of his mouth. Instantly, Rose's face falls with shock and hurt. He doesn't want to do this. He doesn't want to push his emotions deep down and pretend he doesn't care. He doesn't want to lose Rose again. But he firmly believes that this is what's right. Rose will be happy if she stays here. He knows that. The belief is stubbornly stuck in his mind. A new emotion joins the shock and hurt that was mingling on Rose's face.

Anger.

Then she punches him. 

"YES IT DOES!"

The Doctor stumbles back, almost falling over from the unexpected force of the blow as her voice echoes across the beach. He raises a hand to his injured cheek in surprise.

"Rose--"

"Shut it, you idiotic alien! You don't get to talk right now unless it's the end of that bloody sentence!" She's almost snarling right ow, her eyes blazing with fury. "Because I didn't years of my life devoted to finding a way across the walls of the universe when I'd never got my A levels! When everyone, even you, said it was impossible! Because I didn't spend sleepless nights wondering what you were going to say! Or wondering if you were safe! If you were alone or if you were happy! YES IT DOES NEED SAYING!"

"Rose, please. You'll be happy here. With him," The Doctor pleaded desperately. She needed to stay here.

"Oh, you really are fucking stupid aren't you?" Her voice was dripping with contempt. "You don't get to decide whether I'll be happy here! You don't get to decide whether I stay or not! That's MY decision! I'm an adult and I make my own choices! And I know you struggle with the fact that even though we're all just dumb apes to you, we're actually sentient beings, but you don't get to make my choices! I'm not stupid anymore! This is directed at both of you, by the way. You're both guilty of this. I know what you're doing!"

"Rose, you're not stupid. You never were," The Time Lord protested quietly, guilt slowly weakening his resolve to argue.

"Yes I was. But I'm not that oblivious 19 year-old that you picked up in the basement of Henriks. I know what you're doing.," And even though she was shorter than the two men, she stood taller than they ever could. "You're trying to play the hero. The noble, selfless hero who's going to send away the pretty damsel because he knows she'll be happy. Woe is me! I want to be with Rose but I shall leave her behind so that she will be happy! I'm so selfless and noble and smart! I know exactly what she needs!"

The Doctors winced at the painful yet accurate description of what was going through their heads.

"But your FANTASTIC plan has hit a wall. There's one thing you always forget to account for, because we're just stupid apes to you and we'll never really understand. You know what it is? Care to guess?" The two men stayed silent, their eyes dark. Rose scoffed. "900 years-old and you still can't figure it out."

"I don't know," The Doctor murmured, his face stoney. He was going to crack if she kept this up.

"I LOVE YOU!"

The words boomed across the beach. Rose quieted.

"I love you. You always forget that. Even if you think you're the selfless hero who nobody cares about. You always forget that people care about you. And that's where your plan fails," Her voice is soft now, gentle and sad. "Your plan is built upon the simple fact that you believe I'll be happy. But I won't. How could you think I'll be happy? Even if you leave me here, and even if I spend the rest of my life with the human you, maybe we get married and continue to travel the universe, I could never be happy not knowing if you're safe. Because I love you. You always forget that. I made my choice a long time ago and I'm never going to leave you."

The Doctors shared a look and sighed. They couldn't win.

"You're right," The Metacrisis spoke up.

"It does need saying," The Doctor agreed. The two shared a confirming nod. Then what they said next was said in unison.

"I love you."


End file.
